Famous Hungarian writer Jókai commemorated on spectacular mural in Budapest city centre – photos

A stunning mural depicting Mór Jókai has just been unveiled on a wall in Kis Diófa Street, in central Budapest. This vibrant public art project, organised by the Színes Város Group, ties in perfectly with the Jókai200 anniversary celebrations.

Jókai200: literature meets public art

To mark the Jókai200 year, the Színes Város Group launched a nationwide public art initiative with the support of the National Cultural Fund. The highlight of the programme is this massive mural. The aim was to inspire young artists to draw on Jókai’s rich legacy, reimagining the urban landscape and weaving literary heritage into everyday life, as the group told the Hungarian News Agency.

Located on the gable wall of the apartment building at 2 Kis Diófa Street in Erzsébetváros, the winning design stands out as a modern masterpiece that blends classical elements with a contemporary aesthetic. It captures the diversity of Jókai’s oeuvre and the timeless messages of his work. Before painting began, the surface underwent a full thermal insulation upgrade to ensure the artwork’s longevity and pristine appearance for years to come.

Nearly 50 submissions

The expert jury assessing the entries included Anna Farkas, adjunct at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts; Oszkár Boskovitz, head of department and professor at the University of Pécs; Zoltán Balázs, adjunct at Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania; Benedek Sólyom, chief architect of Erzsébetváros; and Noémi Nádudvari, aesthetician and art curator.

From nearly 50 submissions, the jury selected Dorottya Mérges as the first-place winner. She is a graphics student at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. Second place went to Barbara Ambrus, also a graphics student at the same institution, while third prize was awarded to Karina Grandpierre, a graphics student at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME). The artists will share a total of two million forints in gross design fees.

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